Feeling thirsty? Have a cocktail for a cause. Cincinnati Negroni Week kicks off with a party from noon-4 p.m. June 23 at Washington Park.
The Negroni is an Italian cocktail made of one part gin, one part vermouth, one part Campari and garnished with an orange peel. Negroni Week is an initiative launched by liqueur manufacturer Campari and Imbibe Magazine in 2013 to, yes, celebrate the cocktail, but also to raise funds for charitable causes. Negroni Week is now hosted in more than 10,000 venues — bar, restaurants, etc. — around the world and has raised more than $2 million.
This year, Negroni Week takes place June 24-30 and Cincinnati Negroni Week will be kicking off with that June 23 party. The city’s best bartenders and mixologists from over 20 local faves like Sundry and Vice, Japp's The Mercer OTR, The Presidents Room, Horse & Barrel and more will be at Washington Park, showing off their skills by remixing the cocktail. Samples, swag, food trucks and live music from DJ Jayy will be available. Participants must be 21+ to attend and IDs will be checked at the door.
The event itself is free, but you must purchase a ticket to sample the Negronis and get a swag bag. Pre-sale tickets are $25 and close June 21; tickets are $35 at the door. All proceeds from the event will benefit The Arbor Day Foundation; tickets include a free tree.
To find venues participating in the rest of Negroni Week, visit negroniweek.com/venues and search "Cincinnati." For example, Top of the Park at The Phelps will be offering a classic Negroni, smoked Negroni, Pink Negroni and the Contessa (using Aperol instead of Campari); LOCOBA by Platform will have four different Negroni variations to benefit Lambda Legal; Butcher and Barrel will have a barrel-aged Negroni and barrel-aged Boulevardier (with bourbon instead of gin); Sotto will have six different Negroni and Negroni-inspired cocktails to benefit Slow Food International; Lonely Pine Steakhouse will be slinging a mezcal Negroni to benefit the Arbor Day Foundation; and so on.
